By Akinwale Kasali
The trouble with the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, gets worse everyday.
From the home-front, his Governor, Godwin Obaseki says Oshiomhole is a pathological liar. And, the factional leader of the APC in Edo State, Anslem Ojezua, says by suspending Oshiomhole from the party, the Edo APC only obeyed the directives of President Muhammadu Buhari that any member who is not relevant in his ward, local government area and state cannot hold office at the national level. This was the main reason Oshiomhole was suspended, he disclosed.
In a Press Conference on Monday 16th December 2019, at the APC Secretariat in Benin, Edo State, Ojezua asked Oshiomhole to resign or be precluded from functioning in office while his suspension subsists.
He traced the genesis of the crisis rocking the party to the conduct of primaries ahead of the last general elections, where Oshiomhole unilaterally and arbitrarily cancelled the primaries conducted by the leadership of the party in the state.
He stated that had the Edo APC not complied with the directive to conduct fresh primaries, Edo would have been exposed to what befell Zamfara and other states.
He further alleged that events have shown that there had been a grand plan to falsely create the impression of a crisis of leadership within the party in the state.
Ojezua said the plans were hatched and executed under the directive of Comrade Oshiomhole and executed through Oshiomhole’s acclaimed ‘infantry division’.
He said the Edo APC has concluded that Oshiomhole lacked the capacity, temperament and moral authority to lead the APC as National Chairman.
He insisted that any action taken by Oshiomhole in the capacity of National Chairman, including documents signed, and meetings presided over by him might be futile as his membership was already compromised.
“In any case, having been placed on suspension as member of the party, he has lost the legitimacy to act in any capacity in the party.
“We draw particular attention to Article 21 of the APC constitution which relates to discipline of party members and the powers of respective organs of the party to take disciplinary actions against members.
“In the circumstances, any action taken in the capacity of National Chairman including documents he signs and meetings he presides over May well be futile as his membership is already compromised.
“We are guided by the admonition of President Buhari who has consistently maintained that we must live up to the tenets and provisions of the constitution of the APC.
“Mr. President has also maintained, quite rightly that anybody who is not relevant in his Ward, Local Government Area and State cannot hold office at the National Level,” Ojezua said.
Ojezua stressed further that Governor Godwin Obaseki remains the chosen candidate of the party for the forthcoming governorship election in the state, alleging that Oshiomhole was fighting a lost battle, parading a third rate army.
He added that Oshiomhole should leave Obaseki alone to govern the State and stop dictating what happens. Obaseki is not a puppet that Oshiomhole can push around.
“What Oshiomhole has with him is a third rate army. That was the deficiency he meant to fill when he invited mercenary group to invade our party. I am happy our members resisted them.
“We are ready for the elections. Obaseki has done so much to justify the confidence the citizens reposed in him. It is the goodwill and prayers of the people. We will have success at the elections,” he said.
